Muzzle brake question

[TacticalGenius 4]

Hi all,

 

My first post here, thanks for the information so far. I really like this forum. Anyhoo, I am planning on getting myself a 5.45 Saiga and was wondering if it is possible to thread the factory barrel for a brake, or is that just a sleeve of sorts that needs to come off in order to thread the barrel? Or will I need to get a new FSB/threaded barrel piece? Thanks guys.

 

TG

[TX-Zen 287]

The sleeve is part of the FSB on the sporters. If you want the AK74 brake it's easier to press off the sporter FSB and replace it with an inexpensive Bulgarian FSB and brake.

 

You can sometimes find FSB and 74 brakes together for less than $70 if you shop around, but less than $100 is realistic.

 

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

 

 

Z

Edited August 4, 2011 by TX-Zen

[TacticalGenius 4]

Thanks Z. But would I be able to thread the sporter sleeve to accept this...(or something just like it)? http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-168/TAPCO-AK74-BRAKE-SAIGA/Detail

 

TG

[TX-Zen 287]

I don't think you can thread the sleeve itself for anything...actually I can't recall anyone who's tried either.

 

The one you linked to is the standard AKM 14x1 threading and won't fit the larger AK74 threads. The giveaway in the photo is how sharply tapered the brake gets in the back.

 

 

The standard AK74 FSB is 24x1.5. There are plenty of combloc brakes and flash hiders available..two kinds of AKSU boosters, at least one flash hider and the ubiquitious AK74 brake we all know and love. They are probably the most popular muzzle attachment I can think of for the AK, so popular that US versions are made as well. And you see they make them in 14x1 for AKM style rifles as well just like you linked to. All in all I'd say 14x1 is more common in sheer numbers of AK's in the US, but there has been a steadily growing market for the AK74 FSB too, they are very common these days.

 

 

OTOH you do have the option to replace the sporter FSB with an AKM FSB instead of a 74. The process is the same for either of them and neither one takes long to do yourself.

 

There will be enough barrel left exposed for you to thread 14x1 if you want but I'm personally not a fan of doing that. The AK74 brake is a proven device that significantly cuts down on muzzle rise for all calibers. It's so successful that the Russians have adopted it for almost all modern AK's since approximately 1992. At the same time there aren't a lot of traditional combloc brake options in 14x1 and really none of them are as effective as the 74 brake anyway.

 

To get something that might be as good or better you need to look into aftermarket brakes like the FSC47. Primary Weapon Systems makes a few types of them for AK's and AR's. Personally I'm not a fan of them although they definately work to some extent, I just can't tell if they work better than the AK74 brake. They have a tendency to direct muzzle blast back toward the shooter...I don't find it significant but some people don't like it at all. FWIW I think they are a good design but I don't see the point of dropping $90+ on a US device when the combloc design has been proven for nearly 40 years now, is correct for the Saiga and is much cheaper.

 

Only downside to the 74 brake is that you have to clean it fairly often, carbon builds up quickly on the threads and the crown of the muzzle. It hasn't seemed to hurt accuracy but sometimes the brake gets stuck and needs some TLC to come loose. There's also a pretty big flash with the 74 brake and that can be a factor if you plan on shooting at night. I haven't compared the flash reduction effects of the PWS brakes but they are supposed to be much less than the 74.

 

Lastly there's a factor of authenticity or correctness. 74's were designed with 24x1.5 FSB and don't look right without them. To each his own of course but considering how effective the 74 brake really is I wonder why anyone would want to use a slant brake or something other than a pure flash hider instead of the 74 brake... not only are they not technically correct but they perform worse as well. Doesn't make much sense to me on a 5.45 weapon that was designed for it in the first place.

 

On the 7.62 weapons I can see the traditionalist nostalgia of the slant brake but if you think about it the AKM has been out of production for over 30 years now, replaced by the AK74 and later the AK103 in 7.62 which has the AK74 brake also. In effect over half the AK's life has been either the AK74 or the AK03 pattern so while I like the older stuff I'm sold on the 74 brake for the same reasons the Russians are.

 

 

It works

 

 

 

 

Z

Edited August 5, 2011 by TX-Zen

[TacticalGenius 4]

Z, thanks for the thorough reply. So, I would probably be best in getting a Combloc FSB threaded for the 24x1.5 and getting the combloc brake for the rifle as well? Is it a fairly simply process to take off the original FSB/sleeve and replace it with the combloc FSB/brake combo? I have only built ARs up to this point, but I am not opposed to a little work with the AK if it helps me learn them well. It seems, just from looking at pictures that the FSB is pinned to the barrel sort of like an AR, am I wrong in that assumption? Thanks again for the help!

 

TG

[TX-Zen 287]

I think it's pretty easy yes.

 

Just tap the pins out and then use a press if you have one to pop the FSB off. A rubber mallet should work to get it off if you don't unless it's really stuck on there, that's how I got my S12 gas block off, I didn't have a press at the time.

 

It's not uncommon for the Bulgarian FSB to line up with the channels for the Saiga FSB, but it's also not terribly hard to redrill them if they don't. It's really a matter of patience and attention to detail. I've done a few Saiga conversions but have never built AK's and don't have many tools, I thought the FSB was much easier than converting the rifle itself if that gives you an idea of how hard it is.

 

 

 

Z

[TacticalGenius 4]

Thanks Z. I have been reading a little bit and it seems that I can use a tubing/pipe cutter to cut the sleeve off the barrel infront of the FSB, and some barrels are threaded under the sleeve. Once I do that, if my barrel isn't threaded, I can have it threaded to accept a brake. I may go that route since I don't trust myself with aligning a new FSB with the rear sights. http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/48234-i-got-factory-threaded-barrel-on-my-saiga-762/

 

TG

[TX-Zen 287]

I haven't heard of any 5.45 barrels being threaded under the sleeve but I haven't paid attention for a while.

 

In any case if you cut the sleeve and thread the barrel you'll be limited to 14x1 if you want combloc brakes. Really seems like it will be more work to cut the sleeve and thread than it will be to just pop the whole FSB off and replace it with a proper 74 24x1.5. If you don't have a press I'd check around your hometown forum if you have one and find someone who does, it's really pretty easy if you think it through.

 

Good luck

 

 

 

 

Z

[TacticalGenius 4]

Thanks again Z. I will keep researching and see what will work out best for me. I have plenty of time to research as my purchase was pushed back a couple years by the little woman. My next gun will be a graduation present according to her. (As long as I don't pay for it, I am fine with that!) In the meantime, I will search and figure out what I want to do.

 

TG

[jeep45238 6]

It'd really simple and easy to align a FSB with the.rear sight. Tie a loop in a piece of string, put it over the front post (fsb pressed onto the barrel) and run the string through the rear sight. Wack the fsb side to side with a mallet until the string looks centered on the barrel.

Edited August 5, 2011 by jeep45238